My Favorite Things

SuChin Pak Picks Her Four Favorite L.A. Food Vendors

SuChin Pak, in NYC
SuChin Pak, in NYC Photo: Jed Egan

On Saturday, Hester Street Fair hits Hollywood for the last time this summer before its co-founder, reporter SuChin Pak, brings the event back to its birthplace in Downtown New York. Pak tells Grub Street that Saturday’s swan song, called “Goodnight Hollywood Blvd.,” will be the “biggest and best” yet, with Andrew WK on the scene to DJ and emcee the day, along with a lineup of bands, independent designers, craft-makers, food vendors, and a cocktail garden for the big kids. Knowing that this familiar face from MTV grew up with Oakland restaurant owners for parents, we spent a moment asking Pak which L.A. food vendors she’s been most impressed by during her run in Hollywood. Here’s what SuChin had to say.

What’s up SuChin? So, how about it, which vendors created a special spot in your heart while running Hester Street Fair in Hollywood this summer?

SuChin Pak:

“Oh, what a sweet run it was for Hester Hollywood. We had an incredible time putting on our first summer series in Hollywood and [now] we are saying farewell with music, shopping, booze, and a feast to remember. Here are just a few of my local favorites”:

Vchos Truck: I love any kind of ethnic food on wheels, in a cart, out of a truck…it’s something about the tastiness of a foreign country at your fingertips that has a romantic feel that a restaurant can’t duplicate. Vchos is a mix of Salvadoran tapas that are perfect for a summer night. But their pupusas, crispy on the outside and filled with gooey cheese and pork, is why I can’t get enough of these guys.

Bool Korean BBQ Truck: You know you have a good meal coming when you can smell it a block away. The lines prove it, but it’s the smell that surely guarantees satisfaction. I’m partial to food from my Homeland, but Kimchi Quesadillas? How can you go wrong combining cheese and kimchi? You can’t.

Mama Musubi: A triangle of fluffy rice, stuffed with marinated tuna or veggies and wrapped in seaweed, it’s perfectly engineered for on the go eating, the perfect meal when you’re shopping at an outdoor market.

Cousins Maine Lobster: Hands down the most popular food vendor at Hester Hollywood. Fresh Maine lobster on a buttery bun….it doesn’t take a genius to figure that one out. We have Luke’s Lobster at Hester in NY and Cousins on the West Coast. That way, I can make sure I get my lobster fix wherever we set up shop. Is that selfish?

Hester Street Fair starts Saturday, August 25 at 2:00 P.M. at Hollywood Blvd. and Argyle Ave. Admission is free.

Earlier: SuChin Pak Has ‘Vicious’ Pho Cravings, Loves Early Bird Specials [GS]
Musician Andrew W.K. Eats Pretty Much Everything With a Side of Nuts [GS]
What Susan Feniger Eats on L.A.’s Streets [GS]

SuChin Pak Picks Her Four Favorite L.A. Food Vendors